NY Bowhunter

Well I have 2 weeks left of my hunting season. I hate to keep harping on the gun season here and what's happened, but it relates to this question. I've been hunting my main piece of land pretty much all season. Been here and there a few times to mix it up and give it a break, but put all my energy into the bucks on my main land. I have/had a good handle on what the deal is out there. I have some really good setups for late season. I know there are still some creatures lurking that have survived the onlslaught.

I've gone buckless so far. Had some REALLY good opportunities on some quality bucks, but again due to strang circumstances I just haven't been able to close the deal yet. Recently I had a giant beautiful 10 pointer heading towards me for a slam dunk 15 yard shot only to be chased in the next county by 10 gun hunters that were trespassing. Since then I've had 4 other encounters!!! I have NO idea what's going on this year as far as that goes. It's usually not that bad. A new group of "hunters"/trespassers in the area I guess.

Anyway my question.... These deer are as pressured as I've ever seen around me. I can't really stand fending off orange people anymore. Hell I have people walking into my setup at 4:00 in the afternoon. While I know this land like the back of my hand and know I'm setup perfect for what SHOULD give me at least another crack at a quality buck (on a typical year), I'm not sure what to do. I don't know if I'm wasting the rest of my hunting time or not. I have a few other pieces of land that I could hunt and take my chances. They are (should be) fairly unpressured. I'd be kind of going in their blind though. I know a few spots that I've scouted in the past, but nowhere near as good as I know where I am now.

Would you ride it out where I am now, take the chances that the big bucks are not all in underground tunnels, and deal with what's going on? Or would you pickup and head to where you're 99% sure you wouldn't have encounters with other people and the deer should be somewhat normal (even if you didn't know the land very well)?

virginiashadow

Oops--thought you had 5 encounters with good bucks...not trespassers. That is tough. Any way you could notify the Game Warden and post the land?

GMMAT

Tough call, NY.

I felt the SAME way 2 weeks ago. Exact same way.

I finally got to thinking about where I'd go if I was a buck and the guys hunting were hunting where they were (Hope that makes sense). That's where I hunted. I let the gun hunters think I was just "staying out of their way"....but in reality I was letting them think they had the primo spots....and I was relegating myself to the lesser spots. Where I was hunting is where I'd seen the bucks.

OK.....Honestly....I'd do two things.

1. Try to re-assess the lands you WANT to hunt (trespasserville) and think if there may be an escape route/sanctuary you might have overlooked.

if not....

2. Go back to what's "known"....or your old haunts.

I'd have a hard time doing no. 2 until I thoroughly thougth through no 1.

With our backgrounds....I'd love to share a few hunts with you one day. I admire your persistence...and I am pulling for you to get a GOOD break for a change. No. 1 might see you make your own luck (and I'm just thinking out loud. You may have already thought of this a long time ago).

79 sits.....a lost deer (at the time).....VERY few sightings of "shooters".......that all turned around in a matter of a mere 15 seconds, for me. I wish you the same. Good luck!

NY Bowhunter

oops sorry I was talking about encounters with other hunters.

kickin_buck

I know hunting pressured deer sucks, but if you know the land as good as you say you do, I would stick it out. Coming into late season, food sources are going to start playing a huge part and if you know where they want to eat and where they bed, you all but have it worked out. Going into a new place blind is hard to do when you have a place you know like the back of your hand.

Jim_IV

Tough one NYBH

IF you thinkthe chances are slim at running into other "hunter/trespassers" on the other property then thats what I'd hunt. Even without a lot of time left maybe you could get in there and get somewhat of a pattern on the deer. Just a thought

txjourneyman

If you stick it out and keep seeing, confronting trespassers they might just learn that they just can't hunt there and leave you alone next year.

NY Bowhunter

Thanks for the confidence Jeff. I'm actually adopting your philosphy now of taking the pressure off and chalking it up to good comedy at this point. Has refocussed me in a way.[8D]

This thought has been knawing at my brain since last night. There are a couple of secluded areas just off the beaten path of trespasserville that I might take a look at. Not typical spots I'd normally be running to climb a tree at, but at this stage of the game it may be a viable option to look at. Besides.... I've heard stories about these "backyard bucks" before

Dopler

If you don't confront the t-passers, they will continue to walk all over you. You needto prosecute if you can, if you can't for whatever reason, youneed to get in their face and give em absolute hell!Tresspassersare justcommonthieves, they'll take as much as youallow them to take.

I had a piece of ground I leased a few years back and encountered t-passers. Iasked the land owner to prosecute, he didn't want to as he was soft. I asked these guys nicely 1 time not to t-pass and they told me they had been hunting this ground for over 20 years but agreed,about a week later, they were back. I waited by their truck after the morning hunt, I had a 45 on my hip in plain sight. When they came back Iripped them a new one as loud as I could. I told him ifthey evercame back again,I'd take all of their bows and hunting gear--they were terrified,one of them yelled that I was F*#@&+crazyas they drove off (which is debatable). I didn't see them again but I was so furious, I honestly think I would have slashed all of their tires the next time I saw them.